I need advice please......

[PartyofSix]

We are going to WDW leaving June 29th - July 6th.
My Cast: Me & DH
22mth g, 22mth g, 22mth g, 9yo g
sil, grandmother and our nanny

I don't have a problem but would like to be in the know about how things work at WDW. We are a large group and have ps at chef mickeys ect with the girls and three of the adults. Anyways we have a hadicap parking permit: when? where? do I use it in the parking lots. Are there rules? I am not sure if the GAC or Yellow card is right for my family. No were not handicapped because we have TRIPLETS>lol Although that could qualify as a WHAT WERE YOU THINKING disorder.LOL Seriously though one of my ggg's has downs syndrome and is not mobile yet like her two bigger sisters. She can not sit unassisted. How will this affect her being able to go on rides? Will they let me hold her? Will we be able to pull our stoller (will be taking a single, and my double) up to the table with us for her to sit in and the bigger girl's can sit and walk just fine but will there be enough room to get all that in a resturant? I'm stressing about the this. We do not take our girls out of the house much, mainly because of all the intrusive comments people make I just would rather stay home and enjoy my girls when I"m off work, than to be hemmed up trying to shop for them and being ask all sorts of personal questions. I'm off the subject thanks for the VENT. I am really get nervous I know you veterans can't calm me down but I really want to enjoy this vacation and make it stress free. So if you have any ideas on where you can eat maybe that has plenty of room for all this luggage so to speak or where to park or just anything that would make me feel like we are not intruding on other folks's vacation I'd appreciate it. I really don't want to draw any attention to us. So I want to act like I know what to do.LOL

 

[Michelle NY]

First off stop worrying, you have come to the right place. I am sure Sue and Terri will be along soon with all of their expert info. I know that you can use your Handicap placqured in all of the parking lots. Most rides you will be able to hold her on.Yes you can bring your stroller into the restaurants. The GAC will also be helpful because it will allow you to keep your stroller with you on lines and thru attractions that normally don't allow strollers.Most of all have a great trip!

 

[teri]

Big hugs!

You will have a fine time.

Click on the link in my signature where it says disABILITIES FAQ and look at the section about the GAC. You will need a stamp on your GAC that says that you are to be allowed to use the stroller as a wheelchair. Don't concern yourself about Yellow Cards - they are only at certain rides and attractions with FastPass.

You will have free valet parking at the resorts, and you can use the accessible lots at each park.

I am sure you will have lots more questions -- I will be back to see what comes up.

 

[SueM in MN]

You obviously needed a good vent, so go ahead and do more if it helps.
Also, keep the questions coming, because we have a lot of helpful people who come here because they were as worried as you are. Now that they saw WE CAN DO IT, they want to share with other worried people. You already got some good advice and I'm sure you'll get more.

First, the parking: you have a handicapped parking permit, so go ahead and use it. The only request that those of us who travel with people in wheelchairs make is please don't use a van accessible spot (the extra wide ones with the crosshatched access lane next to it) unless you need it. There aren't many of those and people with wheelchair lifts or a non-walking heavier person to get into and out of a wheelchair really need those spots.

Restaurants and space: We have seen people who don't have special needs kids bring their strollers into the restaurants, so I don't think you will have much trouble there. If you are making PS anyplace, let the reservation person know that you have one child who can't sit without her stroller. They usually put notes about wheelchairs, etc into the computer; mention it again when you check in for your PS. We've even had them move tables for us to make a little extra room for DD's wheelchair. If you have any problems, a GAC that says you are using a stroller as a wheelchair makes it a lot easier.

Rides: A lot of people hold their 3yr and under kids on the rides because the kids are too small to see or the kids are scared to sit alone, or whatever. This won't be a problem. My DD is 16 now and isn't always steady for sitting on moving rides. We held her on most rides until she was too big to fit on our laps. After that, three of us fit in one seat wwith her in the middle. She's a little big for that now (DH and I are a little bigger, too). Now, one of us is always sitting next to her and bracing her. For the shows, like Michelle said, you will be able to bring her stroller in with a GAC, so you can just use it like a wheelchair. And during shows like Little Mermaid and the Muppet Show, they suggest people hold small children on their laps so they can see better (plus 2 people only take up one seat that way).

For comments: teri already bumped the "How to deal with staring" thread, so it's pretty near the top. You can't avoid all the staring, but you do get used to it and figure out ways to handle it. It does get better (especially when you see how clueless some of the "stare-ers are). My favorite one was when DD was only about 3 and we were taking her into the Land in her wheelchair. A woman came up behind us with her child (who was trying to get out of the stroller) and said she wanted to bring her stroller in "since HER (my DD's) stroller is being allowed in". The CM said, "I'm sorry, but this is a wheelchair. You will have to leave your stroller outside." The woman kept arguing that my DD's wheelchair was a stroller and she couldn't see why she couldn't bring her stroller in. Her husband looked like he wanted to melt into the pavement and he kept saying "THAT is a WHEELCHAIR" in a loud whisper. Even her little kids was saying it was a wheelchair. I guess I'd rather be looked at because I have a special needs child than because I am clueless (and loud about it).

Come back with as many questions as you can think of. You'll have a great time.

 

[PartyofSix]

Thanks so much for you replies. Can I ask how are my two bigger of the three who will be in a double stroller suppose to fit in as well. Am I to park that stroller to go into resturants? And Rides? And Shows? I have a ton invested in strollers and I have an 800 triplet Runabout and I'm not sure if I'm taking that one or my single and double. If I decided to go with the runabout well either way I guess are all these strollers gonna fit on one tram? Seems like if I can remember back a serveral years there is an area on the tram and trains that is boxed off in the back for hanciapp use. Is that right? DH is a large man and I think we sat back there to give us more room this was pre triplet days. I just dont' want to cause a scence trying to get into a resturant and on to a few rides. We are not big on rides but 9yodd is and I wanted the baby's to get the exp of some of the kiddy rides. I have been researching this board for over a month. THen this thought about the luggage we come with scared me not only that but we are planning a visit in the absoulute busiest time of the year. We thought we'd hit the parks at 8:30ish and be outta there at 11:30 or so and back to the home we are renting nearby and have everyone fed and laid down by 1 and rest and enjoy the pool then mom and dad can hit the parks for supper and a nice lesiure stroll in the late afternoon. Is there any best days during this week to go with the kids and with dh in the afternoon. I think i heard someone say 3:30 that's early as we don't put our kids down till 7:30 so were not gonna want to leave to hit the parks maybe around 6 or so. We'll have help with us but we like spending this down time with our kids. Our 9yo and my sil will go back with us i'm sure they'll ride rides and such. I'm really looking forward to the house we are renting it have a large pool, ours at home we have'nt had time to clean it since the kids were born! Not to mention we own our own business and the stress of scraping up money for this vacation is not an easy feat as you all well know. I have been crusing that budget board as much as any board. Thanks again for taking your time to share your exp with me and my family.

 

[tigger2on]

If you go to Guest Services and request a GAC it will inform other CM's at rides/ resturants that you are using the stroller as a mobility device/ wheelchair. Just explain the situation. My 4 yr old is non-mobile and we used her stroller last year as the wheelchair is uncomfortable sitting in for an 8 hour day.
If nothing else - the GAC will allow you to not be hassled... if it does occur at all.

 

[teri]

re: the trams
You will *not* be allowed to keep your kids in strollers in the trams. Not safe, not allowed, and you would be struggling the whole time getting on and off, plus holding those 3 toddlers in the seat next to you. You will be much better off driving in and parking in the handicapped lot, where you can roll in. Or, take a bus. It has been done with triplets including kids with disabilities, by people on this board, but I highly recommend driving.

re: restaurants and such.... My dear, if you are travelling with triplets, I think it will be quite obvious to the CMs that you need extra help, and they will give you every possible assistance and leeway. Even if you have already told them when you made the PS as Sue mentioned, your best approach will be to walk up to the person at the podium and ask *them* what to do. when you enlist their help, they almost always come to your rescue. "I have toddler triplets, one of them is disabled, I need to use the stroller to get them inside, what should I do?" Their job is to make it work. You are on vacation, they are there to help you get the vacation you need.

I hope you have a great time!

 

[SueM in MN]

I agree with teri about asking people nicely to help find a solution to your problem. Sometimes they don't help because they don't notice that you are having a problem or they don't really know what the problem is or whether you WANT help. If you lay it out for them and ask for help, that gives them permission to help and tells them what you need help with.
As far as I know, the trams don't have any special spot for strollers or wheelchairs. The good news is that if you are parking in the handicapped parking area, you will be fairly close to the park entrance and won't be using the trams anyway. When you pull up to the booth at the parking lot, show the attendant your handicapped parking permit and show it again to each CM who is directing traffic. They will point you in the right direction to go. Keep your parking receipt to show when you come back later and you won't have to pay a second time.
My DH and I went to WDW July 9 thru somehting like the 15th, 2001. We were really worried that it would be super busy, but it was nowhere near as bad as we thought it would be. I wouldn't plan to go to the parks July 4, but it may not be as bad as you thin k the other days. You can ask on the Theme Parks Board about that part.

Can I ask how are my two bigger of the three who will be in a double stroller suppose to fit in as well.

If you can explain that a little more, maybe we can help you with that.

 

[PartyofSix]

I mean at the resturants. It requires quite a bit of room getting in the strollers the double and the single. I have never eaten inside a resturant at Disney. The most I've been is a walk through on a day stay with my dh and 9yo 5 or more years ago. This is getting exciting. I just went and told my dh about all the reading I've been doing and that i wanted to get ap because i'd love to take the girls at x-mas to see the mickey party. You all are so nice to help me with all this information it's truely priceless to me. Thanks so much. I know this is improper but will give you a shot at my question about how to fit 8 people into onsite rooms? There is so much information that it really overwhelmes me and i take notes and try to figure out what all the abbrev. mean then I start again at square one. A one bedroom suite or two would be nice. We have to take our Nanny with us when we go places and usually the sil comes for added help. I understand if you don't reply to that question maybe I'll ask it on the resort board later on. Thanks again.

 

[teri]

The sit-down restaurants will be fine. I once took elderly relatives, 2 in wheelchairs in one day, plus my autistic son was in a stroller-as-wheelchair where he felt most safe. We had no problems with getting into the restaurant that day. They made room.

Your best bet would be to get a 2-bedroom villa at one of the Home-Away-From-Home resorts. Those sleep 8 people. That would give you the added benefit of having kitchen facilities, a washer/dryer, and a comfy couch to sit upon. 2 to 3 hotel rooms might also be what you need. It really depends on your budget and tastes. Old Key West would be my personal choice, especially if you plan to use your car onsite and not the Disney buses. You can park right up to the building where you are staying - very convenient.

You can get some very nice values offsite as well, but there really is some 'magic' about staying onsite.

 

[SueM in MN]

You might also find that in the restaurants, once you are all settled that you can fold the double stroller for more room if your bigger girls are sitting on chairs. They do have booster seats and high chairs.

I would also suggest OKW. We are members of DVC at OKw and find it is really a good place to stay if you have lots of "stuff". Having the washer and dryer right in your room is a nice advantage, especially with little kids. The full kitchen is really nice too since you can have food there at whatever times your kids want to eat. FOr when you are going back to the parks, the bus service from OKW is fine. I would still probably drive when you have all the kids. OKW has parking pretty much right outside your room. You can check into renting points from a member. Go over to the Disney Vacation Board and look around a little bit to see how all this works.